Daily Encouragement

June 13, 2010 - Pour Out Your Heart Before Him

Read and meditate on Psalm 62

Just as the psalmist, you as a believer should pour out your heart before God. (v. 8) When you have discovered that you have been lied to, or opposed for no fault of yours, or schemed to bring you down from high place, you can tell all about it to God. Sometimes we would try to rally others to speak for our cause or fight back with our inappropriate manner. It is of no use. The best way the psalmist teaches us is to wait on God by praying to Him and trust in His mercy. For God is our Rock and our defense.

Under God's inspiration, the psalmist informs us that relying on man is useless when you are under attack. Telling God all your needs and expressing your trust in His salvation and power is the best. He says, "Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are weighted on a scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor." (v. 9 NKJV)

Does it mean that our work does not count at all? For salvation, yes it has no effect. But God does pay attention to whether we will follow his instructions after we receive his mercy.

Have a terrible heartache? Pour out your soul to Jesus who is your friend. He has covered you with His righteousness through His blood on the cross. Be strong in Him. You are standing on the rock.

June 14, 2010 - Expectation Of The Messiah

Meditation on Psalm 72

There was an air of expectation of the reign of the coming Messiah in Psalms. Here David prayed for its fulfillment and his son, Solomon composed it for the congregation to sing.

The kings of Israel were not able to fulfill the expectation, but Jesus the Son of David will be able to rule the earth when He shall return.

The Messiah shall rule with righteousness and justice for the poor. He will bring peace to the whole earth. He will have absolute control of the whole world. All nations shall subject to Him. He cares specially the needy and the oppressed. There will be economic prosperity. He will reign forever. He shall be praised by all people.

"And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen." (v. 19 NKJV)

This was the earnest desire of the apostles and should be of all believers. John says, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20b)

June 15, 2010 - God Is Near

Meditation on Psalm 75

This psalm is an answer to Psalm 74. Even though God is angry with His people, but actually He is still near. He would not destroy His people as this psalm is entitled "Do Not Destroy".

God is near because His wondrous works declare that His name is near. (v. 1) The psalmist senses that God is about to intervene for His people.

Things may look bad all around, but God says that He is the one who set up the foundation of the earth. He will judge the world at His proper time. (v. 2-3)

The boastful enemies will be taught a lesson on not to lift up their own horn. (v. 4-5)

God will pour down the strong wine of judgment upon the wicked. (v. 6-8)

Therefore God's people shall thank Him and praise Him forever. They will be exalted finally. (v. 9-10)

Let us give thanks to God.

June 16, 2010 - Open You Mouth Wide

Meditation on Psalm 81

Have you watched some mother who was feeding her young child? The boy runs around to play or to do his own thing. So the mother chases after him to feed him with a spoon in one hand and the bowl of food on the other. But the child refuses to eat. She has to keep asking him to open his mouth so she can shuffle the food into his mouth.

So often Christians have many interests of their own, therefore they do not pay attention to the eating of spiritual food. As a result it leads to their spiritual thinness and immaturity.

Psalm 81:10 says "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open you mouth wide, and I will fill it." (NKJV) Like the Israelites, we have been redeemed and given new birth. We are not under the bondage of Satan and sin no more. We belong to Him who covered us with His blood on the cross. As a result we need to open our mouth to eat the food God gives us daily.

We are called to worship, first of all. We should celebrate Jesus' redemption for us and to recall his miracles and teaching. (v. 1-7)

We should put God first in our lives and get rid of idols that take away our devotion to Him and the feeding of His Word. (v. 8-10)

If we don't listen to His voice, God will abandon us to our stubbornness. (v. 11-12)

However, those who would obey Him, they will have God's help to overcome their difficulties and enemies. (v. 13-14)

God does know who the pretenders of faith are. They will suffer an eternal fate. (v. 15)

But those who would open their mouth wide will be fed the finest and will be satisfied fully even in unlikely places. (v. 16)

June 17, 2010 - Holiness And Love Kissed

Meditation on Psalm 85

"Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed." (v. 10 NKJV) This concept expressed the hope of the psalmist that God's holiness and lovingkindness would be fulfilled toward mankind. On the one hand, His righteousness demanded that he must judge the sin of man. Yet on the other hand, His mercy yearns for His forgiveness.

This can only be done through the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ who has fulfilled both of these aspects of God's character through His death on the cross. (John 1:16-18, 2 Corinthians 5:21) Therefore psalm 85 is prophetic and Messianic. Indeed, "righteousness shall look down from heaven." (v. 11)

The sons of Korah had composed this psalm for the people of God to seek their spiritual and national revival from God. Yes, they had experienced God's forgiveness and blessings. They had returned to their own land. But they must continue to pray, "Will You not revive us again that Your people may rejoice in You?" (v. 6)

And they must determine to hear what the Lord will speak. Then they will see the meeting of holiness and love of God. And the land will yield its increase also. And they will follow the righteous footsteps of the LORD.

Since Jesus has come and we have seen the kiss of God's holiness and love, we can rejoice in His provision through prayers and His revival daily in our hearts through Christ.

June 18, 2010 - Worship And Obey

Meditation on Psalm 95

This is a psalm for worship in the form of antiphon. The music director may sing the first part of call to worship. (v. 1-7a) The congregation would respond by singing in unison the second part of the psalm. (v. 7b-11)

What is worship? We sing, we shout and we give thanks to the LORD. (v. 1-2) We bow down to Him. (v. 6)

Why do we worship Him? He is our Savior, our God, our King, our Maker, and our Shepherd. He controls even the underworld. He has the top and strongest strength. (v. 3-7)

During worship we must hear His voice and obey His ways. Without obedience we shall not enter God's rest. (v. 7-11) This rest is the rest of the mind, soul and spirit. We cannot be short of any part of it. Ultimately, those who have no rest in the Spirit will not enter into the Promised Land.

What is the cause of disobedience? Our harden heart. (v. 8)

Let us learn from the tragic example of the Israelite in the wilderness for forty years. Don't go side track from obeying God as we worship Him.

June 19, 2010 - Serve The Lord With Gladness

Meditation on Psalm 100

When we meditate upon this psalm, our thought turns to worship. There are many ways to express our worship. One of the best ways is to serve the LORD with gladness. (v. 2)

Imagine the joy of serving God in His presence with whatever ability He has given us, it is our privilege. The psalmist says that we serve God because we were created by Him and we belong to Him. We worship the LORD since He is good to us, His mercy to us is eternal and His truth endures to all generations. (v. 5 NKJV) The New American Standard Bible translates the same thought by saying that His faithfulness to all generations.

Both of God's truth and faithfulness are unchangeable. The world is changing and our knowledge and concept are changing. But God does not change. He is always dependable. Whatever he has communicated to us will never change. They are the truth standards that forever settle in heaven. That is why we are so thankful in His house of worship.

As we worship God with true heart, we would undoubtedly receive blessings because He is benevolent, such as His power, fullness, authority, and enlightenment. But that should not be our final motive of worship. We serve Him joyfully just because we know that He is God. (v. 3)